What Cologne Does James Bond Wear?

There is no mention in the original Ian Fleming books of Bond ever wearing a cologne. This is significant because Fleming was a master at name-dropping real-world brands into his books as a way of signaling something about the characters.

Do We Know Which Cologne James Bond Would Have Worn?

Bond doesn’t just smoke any brand of cigarettes — he smokes Morlands. In From Russia with Love, Bond spreads “Cooper’s Vintage Oxford Marmalade” and drinks coffee brewed in an “American Chemex”. Fleming wrote during a time when Britain was coming out of post-war rationing, and he was writing high-end, glamorous escapism for readers.

If Bond ever wore a cologne in any of the books, Fleming would have been very specific about the brand. Fleming was also particular when describing scents — in the books, women comment on how Bond smells, but it’s always natural smells like sweat or the sea.

As a secret agent, Bond would want to avoid standing out with a strong scent that might give away his location. There’s no particular reason Bond wouldn’t have worn scents while off duty, and there are references to scented bath products from Floris in a few scenes.

Who Are Floris?

Floris is a British company that has been in business since 1730. They have a long and storied history, and their products have been used by famous people including King George IV, Winston Churchill, and Marilyn Monroe.

What Brands Did James Bond Prefer?

Ian Fleming notoriously gave Bond the same tastes that he himself had, from preferring drinks extremely cold to which Rolex he wore. So it’s not a stretch to conclude that if Fleming had a signature cologne, Bond would as well.

Fleming wore Floris 89 Eau De Toilette, so that’s what he almost certainly would have written for Bond if the plot had called for a cologne. You can still get this today from the same company Fleming did.

Which Cologne Would James Bond Have Worn?

Floris London No. 89 is a classic and timeless aromatic fougère.

• Top Note: Bergamot
• Middle Notes: Lavender and Neroli
• Base Notes: Cedarwood, Patchouli, Vetiver and Amber

Merchandising

The James Bond franchise has released several fragrances over the years “inspired” by the character. In 2012, Eon Productions released “James Bond 007”, a light citrusy scent with notes of apple and cardamom, made by P&G Prestige.

This was followed in 2013 by “James Bond Ocean Royale”. Since then, there have been numerous iterations including “James Bond Seven Intense”, “Quantum”, and “James Bond for Women”.

There is now a new fragrance from Floris called No. 007 developed to celebrate 60 years of the film franchise (Dr No came out in 1963).

All of this is after-the-fact merchandising. Typically, these are mass-market fragrances designed to appeal to the greatest number of people, with no meaningful connection to the books or films. For those seeking a more modern scent that captures old-school charm, Tom Ford’s “Tuscan Leather” is worth considering.

What Cologne Does James Bond Wear — The Actors

Here’s what various Bond actors have been known to prefer:

Sean Connery

The original and iconic Bond starting from Dr No in 1965, Sean Connery was known to favor Guerlain Habit Rouge and Jicky.

Roger Moore

Sir Roger Moore was known to favor Guerlain’s Jicky, the same fragrance as Sean Connery. That’s two Bond actors who favored this Patrimoine Collection original. Jicky was originally far more popular with men than women and is now seen as a more unisex, androgynous perfume.

Timothy Dalton

A specific fragrance for Dalton couldn’t be pinned down. His turn as Bond was cut short with only two movies, The Living Daylights and License to Kill. However, in one story he mentioned wearing something with strong notes of vanilla, which had an unexpected effect on a male horse.

Pierce Brosnan

Pierce Brosnan is widely believed to favor Creed Green Irish Tweed. This powdery, woodsy fragrance feels fitting for this Irish actor, though it may have been an on-brand choice suggested by PR.

Daniel Craig

From the 2006 reboot with Casino Royale, there are many references to Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille as Craig’s cologne of choice. This spicy, woodsy fragrance makes sense given Tom Ford’s association with Bond in the Craig years (from sunglasses to suits). However, this connection is not definitively proven but fits the association.

George Lazenby

No indications of a cologne preference could be found for this Australian model-turned-actor who played Bond in the single film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Does James Bond Wear Trumper’s Eucris?

This myth comes up frequently on perfume blogs and forums. The short answer is no. In On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Bond spies a bottle of Trumper’s Eucris in the bathroom of crime boss Marc-Ange Draco. The text refers to “making his English guest feel at home”, which is about Geo F. Trumper being a quintessentially English brand, not indicating it’s Bond’s cologne.

Wrapping Up

If none of the fragrances mentioned strike your fancy, picture your favorite Bond and favorite scenes, then choose what scent feels right without overthinking it. After all, you only live twice.